Laurel · Weather, flooding and hazards

Laurel, Delaware: weather, flooding and hazards

Weather, climate, flooding and hazards in Laurel, Sussex County, Delaware: 18 questions answered from NOAA, the state and other official sources.

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Questions about weather, flooding and hazards in Laurel

What is the climate like in Laurel, Delaware?

Using NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals from the Georgetown Delaware Coastal Airport station, the nearest of the stations we use, the average January low is 28.6 degrees F and the average July high is 87.7 degrees F. Annual precipitation averages 43.88 inches. The station is not inside Laurel, so readings in town can differ a little, especially near the water. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How much snow does Laurel get per year?

The Georgetown airport normals table we use for Laurel does not publish snowfall. The nearest station we fetched with a 1991 to 2020 snowfall normal is the Salisbury, Maryland (Wicomico Regional Airport) station, at 8.0 inches a year. Treat that as a regional reference, not a measurement for Laurel. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

Is Laurel in a flood zone?

Part of Laurel may sit in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, and the answer depends on the address, so we do not give a town-wide yes or no. The USGS elevation at the town's Census center point is about 33 feet. Look up a specific property in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and the DNREC Delaware Flood Planning Tool. Source: msc.fema.gov, floodplanning.dnrec.delaware.gov, epqs.nationalmap.gov.

Is Laurel in a hurricane evacuation zone?

Delaware labels hurricane evacuation zones A, B, C and D, and describes them as low-lying areas susceptible to flooding and storm surge. The state page does not list communities by zone, so we cannot say which zone Laurel or a given address falls in. Use the Know Your Zone lookup tool or interactive map to check an address. Source: preparede.org, dema.delaware.gov.

What body of water is Laurel on?

Laurel is laid out along Broad Creek, according to the Delaware Public Archives town history, which places the village of Brooklyn and North Laurel on the creek's north side. Source: archives.delaware.gov.

How big is Laurel and how high above sea level is it?

The 2020 Census Gazetteer lists Laurel at 2.766 square miles of land and 0.091 square miles of water. Elevation at the Census center point is about 33 feet above sea level (USGS 3DEP), and ground height varies across town. Source: www2.census.gov, epqs.nationalmap.gov.

Which National Weather Service forecast zone covers Laurel?

The National Weather Service (Mount Holly office) places Laurel in forecast zone DEZ003, Inland Sussex, Delaware. This was read from the NWS point forecast page for the town's Census center point. Source: forecast.weather.gov.

How many days a year reach 90 degrees in Laurel?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Georgetown airport station show an average of 30.5 days a year with a high of 90 degrees F or higher, 0.5 days at 100 degrees F or higher and 110.8 days at 80 degrees F or higher. The Georgetown airport station is not inside Laurel, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

When are the last spring freeze and first fall freeze in Laurel?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Georgetown airport station give a 50 percent probability date of April 4 for the last spring freeze (32 degrees F or lower) and November 6 for the first fall freeze. That works out to a growing season of 217 days at the same probability level. The Georgetown airport station is not inside Laurel, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How many freezing nights does Laurel have in a typical year?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Georgetown airport station show an average of 83.2 days a year with a low of 32 degrees F or lower, and 15.3 days with a low of 20 degrees F or lower. The Georgetown airport station is not inside Laurel, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How much heating and cooling demand does Laurel have in a year?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Georgetown airport station list 4070.2 heating degree days and 1396.1 cooling degree days a year, which are NOAA's measures of heating and cooling demand. The Georgetown airport station is not inside Laurel, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

Which month is wettest and which is driest in Laurel?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 monthly normals for the Georgetown airport station show September as the wettest month at 4.54 inches and February as the driest at 2.58 inches. The Georgetown airport station is not inside Laurel, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

How often does Laurel get an inch or more of precipitation in one day?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Georgetown airport station show an average of 11.1 days a year with 1.00 inch or more of precipitation and 2.2 days with 2.00 inches or more. The Georgetown airport station is not inside Laurel, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

What are typical summer and winter temperatures in Laurel?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for the Georgetown airport station list an average summer (June to August) temperature of 76.3 degrees F and an average winter (December to February) temperature of 39.0 degrees F. The full-year average is 57.6 degrees F, with an average high of 66.9 and an average low of 48.2. The Georgetown airport station is not inside Laurel, so readings in town can differ a little. Source: ncei.noaa.gov.

What does Sussex County's hazard plan rank as the biggest weather risks for Laurel?

Sussex County's December 2022 hazard mitigation plan ranks flooding (riverine and coastal) first, hurricanes and tropical storms second, severe thunderstorms third, drought fourth and extreme heat and cold fifth. Laurel is one of the plan's participating jurisdictions, with its own annex. Source: bridgeville.delaware.gov.

Is Laurel part of a StormReady community?

The National Weather Service StormReady page for Delaware lists Sussex County as StormReady, along with Kent and New Castle counties. It does not list Laurel separately. Source: weather.gov.

When did the current flood maps for the Laurel area take effect?

DNREC's floodplain mapping page says the Kent and Sussex map updates became effective in June 2018. Flood zones depend on the address, so check a specific property in the FEMA Flood Map Service Center or the Delaware Flood Planning Tool. Source: dnrec.delaware.gov.

What kinds of severe weather should Laurel residents expect?

The Delaware Climate Office lists these seasonal hazards for Delaware: winter and spring nor'easters, autumn tropical systems, spring and summer severe thunderstorms, and coastal flooding. It says the 1991 to 2020 normals for annual precipitation across the state fall between 40 and 50 inches. Source: climate.udel.edu.

How these answers are sourced

Every answer on this page cites an official or primary source, such as the town, a state agency, NOAA or the institution itself. Answers SussexCounty.ai could not confirm from a primary source are left out until they can be.